I had the pleasure of meeting Heather Demetrios during my residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she helped me with revisions on my work-in-progress, DANCE WITH ME. When she returned my manuscript, she confessed that she “used to be a figure skater so this was super fun to read!” Heather's web site has a list of ten interesting things she might tell you if she met you at a party, including that her mom was struck by lightning when she was pregnant with her, but here we're getting an exclusive peek at her figure skating past: “I skated with the LA FSA when I was in elementary school and part of junior high. When I stopped skating, I had landed my double flip. (But only once! The rest of the time I landed everywhere BUT my feet.) I started skating late - when I was ten years old or thereabouts. Maybe 11. Ultimately, I didn't really skate for years and years, but the time I did was very intensive (those 5:30 a.m. practices, etc.). I was struggling to master my jumps and was about to transition into ice dancing when I had to stop skating due to my family's financial situation. Still, I love it to this day and miss being on the ice. My favorite move was my best attempt at a Nancy Kerrigan Spiral and I loved doing sit spins. I HATED the axel, but loved loop jumps. My favorite memory is of my mom sewing sequins onto a costume while watching me practice. She was a single mom and it meant so much to me that she was making so many sacrifices for my skating. She sat in the cold and sewed so she could support me while I was practicing. It's one of my favorite memories of my mom, period.”

SOMETHING REAL, Heather's debut novel, isn't about figure skating but skaters will emphasize with the problems faced by main character Bonnie Baker. A skater's falls may be broadcast live and replayed, but Bonnie's whole life has been on TV. When her family's reality TV show, Baker's Dozen, is canceled, Bonnie gets a chance for real friends and maybe even a boyfriend. Then she finds out that her family is going back on the air. SOMETHING REAL hits the shelves on February 4 and is available for pre-order on Amazon right now. For more about the novel as well as Heather's upcoming works, visit Heather online at http://www.heatherdemetrios.com/. You can also follow her on Twitter: @HDemetrios

Today's post features an interview with Jennifer Comeaux, author of the Edge figure skating series. The Edge series includes Life on the Edge, The Edge of the Past, and Fighting for the Edge, as well as additional bonus material. Jennifer also maintains a blog about skating and writing. A huge skating fan, she just returned from a trip to the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.KJV: I enjoyed getting to experience a bit of this year's Nationals in Boston through your blog posts. There were a lot of high moments, but which of your memories from this competition make the podium? Jennifer: It was such an incredible event – one of the best I’ve ever attended! Some of the moments that stood out the most were Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir’s short program (they had the home crowd rocking!), Felicia Zhang & Nathan Bartholomay’s free skate and their kiss and cry reaction to their scores (my friends and I were screaming like crazy people when they went into second place), Meryl Davis & Charlie White’s free dance (stunning perfection!), and Jason Brown’s free skate.KJV: You started writing stories when you were seven years old, but Louisiana isn't known for wintry weather. How and when did you fall in love with figure skating? Jennifer: I fell in love with the sport watching it on TV as a kid. The first Olympics where I remember being totally engrossed was the 1988 Winter Games. I was all over the Battle of the Brians and the Battle of the Carmens! From then on I watched every single skating event that was on TV. I liked watching other sports, and I loved the way skating was the perfect combination of sport and art.KJV: In addition to being a figure skating fanatic, you're a CPA. What suggestions can you offer fellow writers regarding fitting in time to write? Jennifer: I think the most important thing is scheduling time to write and sticking to it, which I need to do a better job of doing! With limited time to write at night and on the weekends, it’s very important to make the most of the blocks of time you have, so outlining your scenes and chapters ahead of time is a big help. When I sit down with blank paper and have no idea what comes next, I get totally freaked out and feel so overwhelmed. But an outline, no matter how simple it is, helps me feel like I have some guidance on where to begin. KJV: Reflecting on your experiences in becoming published, do you have any advice to help smooth the ice for aspiring authors? Jennifer: With so many options for authors these days, I think you just need to look at all the different opportunities and decide which one fits your needs and helps fulfill your dreams. One of my dreams was to have my manuscript accepted by a publisher, so I found a publisher that was a good fit for me and learned everything I could about them and their authors. If you just want to get your work in front of readers without going through a publishing company, then you can definitely go that route. There have been so many success stories in self-publishing.KJV: Now that the Edge series is complete, you're working on a companion novel featuring Courtney. Can we get a rink side preview of her story? Jennifer: I’m very excited about this new story! It’s a lot of fun to write because I can still keep some familiar characters around, but I also get to introduce some new ones. Here’s a little peek at the story: Courtney and her partner Mark haven’t enjoyed the same success Emily and Chris had. They have only one shot left to make the Olympic team, and they vow not to let anything get in their way. Enter Stephanie and Josh, talented siblings with the same dream. Courtney knows she should keep her distance from the rival team, but as she gets to know handsome, quiet Josh, she becomes more and more intrigued. Will their blossoming friendship become more or will the competition tear them apart?For more on Jennifer's books, the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and other reading, writing, and skating fun, visit Jennifer athttp://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com/.

Reflections on Writing

I love few things better than a bottomless to-read list of books and firmly believe the world has room for all the stories we want to share. This blog is intended to provide resources and spark discussion about improving writing. Opinions are my own and not intended to discredit anyone else's work, only to open conversation. Thanks for reading!